Description

#12 - If your CFO is asking you to justify marketing spend and you don’t know where to start, this episode is for you.

The CMO–CFO relationship is one of the most undervalued partnerships in the C-suite — and one of the most powerful when it works. CMOs who understand how their CFO thinks about enterprise value, predictable returns, and bottoms-up planning don’t just get more budget. They lead like business owners. And that changes everything about how marketing is positioned at the executive table.

In this episode, Mandy sits down with Darko Socanski, startup CFO, fractional finance leader, and advisor who has helped three companies reach successful exits, raised hundreds of millions in VC capital, and contributed to over $1.5 billion in equity value creation. Darko shares the CFO’s unfiltered perspective on marketing investments, budget conversations, brand vs. demand, and what it actually looks like when the CMO–CFO relationship works.

Topics covered in this episode:

• How CFOs think about marketing ROI — and why brand investments make them cringe (and how to fix that)
• The difference between predictable and ‘nebulous’ marketing investments — and how to make brand less nebulous
• Why bottoms-up planning is a shared responsibility between the CMO and CFO
• What the best CMO–CFO relationships look like — and the habits that make them work
• How to use AI to build financial fluency without having to ask your CFO ‘basic’ questions

Chapter Markers:

• (00:00) What CFOs Actually Prioritize
• (14:44) How CFOs Evaluate Marketing Investments
• (21:12) Making Brand Less Nebulous
• (27:06) What Strong CMO–CFO Alignment Looks Like
• (41:13) Building Financial Fluency as a CMO

Connect with Darko Socanski:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/darkosocanski
• Stratton Growth Advisors — M&A advisory, CFO services, and executive coaching

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Growth Activated is hosted by Mandy Hornaday. New episodes drop weekly for B2B marketing leaders ready to lead like operators.

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